Implementing Take 5 Safety at Work

What is Take 5 Safety?

Take 5 Safety is a practical and proactive 5-step risk assessment process designed to help workers identify and control workplace hazards before starting any task. Widely used in industries such as construction, manufacturing, mining, and repair, this method emphasizes pausing to assess risks by stopping, looking, evaluating, controlling hazards, and continuously monitoring conditions. Its straightforward approach not only reduces accidents but also cultivates a culture of safety and awareness in the workplace.

Benefits

According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the elimination of common workplace hazards could save hundreds of lives annually and reduce injuries significantly, highlighting the importance of proactive safety steps like Take 5 Safety.

Take 5 Safety should be conducted before starting any task or job, particularly when there’s a change in work conditions or when no detailed safe work method statement is available. It’s ideally performed at the beginning of every shift or workday to ensure hazards are identified and controlled promptly.

Here are five key benefits of implementing this safety approach:

• Stronger Safety Culture – Take 5 Safety promotes a proactive approach where workers feel involved and responsible, leading to less blame and a more positive safety environment.

• Injury and Accident Prevention – By identifying and controlling hazards before work begins, Take 5 Safety effectively reduces the likelihood of workplace injuries and accidents.

• Increased Worker Engagement – Encouraging workers to pause and assess risks increases their personal ownership of safety, which can improve vigilance and reduce unsafe behaviors.

• Improved Productivity – Taking time to assess hazards leads to fewer interruptions and a smoother workflow, enhancing overall work efficiency.

• Enhanced Mental Well-being – Structured safety practices reduce anxiety and stress by providing workers clarity and control over their work environments.

What are the Take 5 Safety Steps?

The Take 5 Safety steps provide a simple, structured approach to identifying and controlling hazards before starting work. The following steps helps workers stay aware and take proactive measures to prevent accidents and ensure a safer workplace:

1. Stop and Think

2. Look and Identify

3. Assess the Risk

4. Control Hazards

5. Monitor Hazards

1. Stop and Think

The key focus of this Take 5 Safety step is to stop whatever you’re doing if you are conducting Take 5 Safety in the middle of work, or not proceed first if you have yet to begin work. During this step, workers are encouraged to be mindful of the task at hand. Especially important for experienced workers, this 5-minute or less allocation for just thinking very carefully about what’s to be done can save them from committing costly mistakes and incurring major injuries.

Components of the Stop and Think 5 Safety Step can include the following:

• Task/Activity – What will you be doing?

• Equipment/Machinery – What will you use to accomplish your task?

• Materials/Supplies – What will you be handling?

• People – Other than yourself, who is involved in the completion of the task?

• Place – Where will you be doing this activity?

2. Look and Identify

This step involves looking around your workplace and identifying hazards or anything that could put you in danger. Focus on listing down and describing anything you see or notice that is unsafe. No matter how small or minor you think an issue is, take note of it to continue to the next step.

3. Assess the Risk

After generating a comprehensive list of hazards, assess the risk of each hazard based on how likely it is to contribute to you or someone else being injured and the severity of the possible injury. Taking into consideration these two characteristics of a hazard helps determine its overall risk rating.

4. Control Hazards

Unlike the previous Take 5 Safety steps, controlling hazards is action-oriented and begins with asking, “What can I or someone else specifically do to reduce the risk of this hazard?” It’s essential to ask this question first before speculating, “What needs to be done?”

Since Take 5 Safety is geared towards immediate hazard control, acting on the best solution available to you at the moment is better than not doing anything at all to reduce a hazard’s risk.

5. Monitor Hazards

After you have done what you can to control all hazards, you may proceed with work. However, remember to monitor the hazards you have identified as you work. For instance, the control measure you implemented may be insufficient or inappropriate for a particular hazard.

Additionally, it’s possible that a specific hazard only emerges when you are in the midst of work as a by-product or a result of the activity. While ideally, you should have identified these hazards in the second Take 5 Safety step, it is easy to miss ones that you don’t already see.

Common Topics Covered in Take 5 Safety Talks

Take 5 Safety talks cover a wide range of topics depending on your industry needs and concerns. Typically, they discuss the following:

• Compliance with Health and Safety (HSE) standards

• Management and compliance with international and local or internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• Management of Change (MoC), if needed

• Safety standards specific to the following:

  • Construction

  • Manufacturing

  • Manual handling

  • Laboratory procedures

Regular training plays a pivotal role in preparing employees to actively engage in Take 5 Safety talks. While not required, it can be a great help for the following:

• Promoting safety awareness

• Empowering individuals to take proactive safety measures

• Creating awareness of different risks

• Fostering a culture of safety and collaboration within the workplace

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